


Fair Weather

by PerpetualWritersBlock



Category: Paranatural (Webcomic)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Paranatural Secret Santa, Slice of Life, also the title has so little to do with the actual fic, im just bad at titles, im just not as funny as zack morrison unfortunately, might be slightly ooc but i tried my best there, this fits nowhere in the canon timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:29:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28440180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerpetualWritersBlock/pseuds/PerpetualWritersBlock
Summary: The Mayview Fair is on, and Spender and Garcia decide to make a date of it. And nothing could possibly ever go wrong or be weird in Mayview, of course.
Relationships: Mr. Garcia/Richard Spender
Kudos: 10





	Fair Weather

**Author's Note:**

> For @riku-reimei on tumblr for the pnat secret santa. Sorry for the delay, hope you enjoy!

It is a bright summer day in Mayview, seemingly made brighter by the buzz of excitement in the town. The Annual-Unless-We’ve-Cancelled-It-Which-Happens-Often-Usually-Due-To-Ferris-Wheel-Related-Incidents Mayview Fair- or, as it is more commonly known, the Mayview Fair- has finally been set up again, complete with its questionable ferris wheel and carnival games and, of course, the Grand Dinner Feast. It seems like at least half the population has flocked to the fair to enjoy the sights.

  
Including one Richard Spender, tugging along one slightly reluctant Jean Garcia.

  
“I still don’t know about this,” Garcia says.

“It’ll be fun!” Spender insists. “We can eat our weight in corn dogs and cotton candy and throw it up after the spinning cups!”

“First off, I’m not sure we have the same definition of ‘fun’, babe,” Garcia replies. “Second, that’s not what I meant- something’s off about this place.”

“It’s the fair,” Spender shrugs. “It’s always been a little weird.”

A screaming child on a harness runs directly across their path, brandishing two sticks of cotton candy. Several feet behind her, a boy who is presumably her brother is dragged across the ground, desperately holding her leash. Spender gestures as if to say _see?_

“I meant more… our type of weird,” Garcia says, watching the children go by. “But I could be wrong, I guess. Ok, where to first?”

They spend a while sampling all the different foods available and going through stalls. Spender buys Garcia a nice leather wristband stamped with a G, and Garcia buys Spender an oversized t-shirt with a picture of a rabbit holding a machete. Spender loves it.

As they’re arguing over whether to try the ferris wheel now or later, they hear a familiar voice speak up behind them. “Mr. Spender?”

Both Spender and Garcia turn to see Max and Isaac behind them, both holding massive slushies. Max raises his eyebrows. “And Mr. Garcia. What’re you guys doing here?”

“Same thing as you!” Spender replies a little too quickly. Max furrows his brow. “You mean you’re on a date?”

Spender’s moderate sputtering is thankfully drowned out by Isaac’s much louder and more indignant sputtering.

“He’s joking,” Isaac says reproachfully, face bright red. Max grins around his straw. “Yeah, ok, but seriously, what are you two doing here?”

“Checking out the fair,” Garcia says at the same time as Spender says “Coworker bonding.”

Garcia slowly turns his head to make eye contact with Spender and, while his face is completely blank to most, Spender can read the expression of _what in the goddamn hell was that lie_.

Isaac and Max exchange a look. “Riiiiight,” Max drawls. “Where are the rest of your coworkers, then?”

“Well, they, uh-”

“Hey, kid,” Garcia cuts in. “Don’t you have somewhere else to be?”

Max shrugs. “Not really, why?”

Isaac tugs his sleeve. “Actually, I see Isabel that way, let’s go, Max.”

Max protests slightly, but allows Isaac to drag him off. Spender breathes a sigh of relief as they walk off.

“ _Coworker bonding_?”

“Well, I had to say _something_!”

Garcia snorts. “Next time, leave the lies to me. Come on.”

Another uneventful hour passes, mostly full of food and spirited debates about which carnival ride is the best, but just as they’re getting ready to find their seats for the jousting tournament, Garcia nudges Spender and points. “It’s your kids again.”

Spender looks over and sees Isabel and Max walking past, talking in low, furious whispers. He quietly walks up to them, and manages to catch the tail end of their words.

“You were together the _whole time_ ,” Isabel is hissing.

“I didn’t have him on a flipping _leash_ ,” Max hisses back. “He probably wandered off, Ed’ll find him-”

“What’s going on, kids?” Spender asks pleasantly. Both Isabel and Max almost jump entirely out of their skins.

“Hi Mr. Spender!” Isabel yells.

“Nothing is wrong and everybody is fine!” Max shouts.

“Why are we yelling?” Garcia asks.

“Because everybody is fine, like Max said!” Isabel says, still too loud. “Ok, we’re leaving now, bye Mr. Spender and Mr. Garcia have fun on your date- or, uh, whatever you’re doing here!”

“Wait, what-”

But Max and Isabel are gone.

Spender finds it a little harder to relax after that encounter, but finding a carnival shooting game does occupy their attention for quite a while.

“You know, you could have left some prizes for everyone else,” Spender says, feeling slightly weighed down by stuffed animals (this is not an assessment of his physical prowess or lack thereof- anyone would feel weighed down by thirty two stuffed animals).

Garcia is busy adjusting a giant stuffed snake around Spender’s neck like a feather boa. “Not my fault they’re not good enough.” He steps back and nods with satisfaction, but frowns at something over Spender’s shoulder. “Looks like something is still up.”

Spender turns to see Max and Ed sprinting down the way towards them with their tools out. Max catches sight of him as they approach, but doesn’t slow down, choosing instead to yell as they rocket past, “Everything is still fine nothing to worry about bye!”

Spender hesitates for a second before turning to Garcia. “Well, where to next?”

Garcia gives him a flat look. Spender reads it as _that’s an incredibly dumb question, even for you_. “We ignored them twice and you’re already antsy. You sure you don’t want to check on the ankle-biters?”

Spender hesitates again. “If they were in trouble, they’d tell me, but…”

Garcia sighs before removing all the stuffed animals from Spender’s grasp. “Hey.” He stops a random kid in their tracks, dumping all the toys on them. “It’s your lucky day, kid.”

He grabs Spender’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go find your kids.”

They manage to tail Max and Ed to the House of Mirrors.

“Of course,” Garcia mutters. “Of course any spook would be in here. Why didn’t we check here first?”

“Ed! Max!”

Spender uses his most authoritative voice, which is more loud and desperate than anything. Both boys stop and turn.

“Hey, Mr. Spender,” Max says, waving his bat. “Don’t worry about anything, like we said, everything is fine!”

“There’s a spirit in the house of mirrors that’s managed to kidnap Isaac and Isabel, right?” Garcia asks.

“There’s a spirit in the house of mirrors that’s managed to kidnap Isaac and Isabel,” both Ed and Max confirm, shoulders slumping.

Spender chuckles, catching Garcia’s eye. “Well, let’s go do our job, shall we?”

The spirit turns out to be some kind of funhouse creature that can warp between the mirrors- and warp _them_ to match their reflections. It takes some time and a lot of broken glass, but they manage to free Isaac and Isabel from the mirrors they were trapped in and destroy the spirit in question.

Later, over ice cream, Spender asks, “Why didn’t you tell me as soon as Isaac went missing?”

All the kids look at each other slightly shiftily, Isaac more so than the others. Isabel speaks up for the group with a sigh. “Max and Isaac told us you two were here on a date, so we figured we’d try to deal with the spirit problem on our own.”

Spender feels himself flush bright red. “A date- why would you think we’re on a date?”

“Oh, sorry, should I have pretended to believe ‘ _coworker bonding_ ’?” Max chimes in sarcastically. “It’s not like we all didn’t know you were dating, anyway.”

“How did you-”

“Isaac,” they all say in unison. Isaac stares into his ice cream like it holds the secrets of the universe.

Garcia glares at him. “I _told_ you it was a secret.”

“Hey, he didn’t tell us anything,” Max interjects. “He’s just really, really, _really_ easy to read. This is honestly your fault for telling a secret to the worst liar in the group.”

Spender sighs. “Well, next time, just tell me what’s going on, ok?”

The kids respond with a chorus of half-agreement.

They leave almost immediately after ice cream, all far too tired to think of sticking around for dinner. Spender and Garcia head back to Spender’s place, where they both collapse on the couch instantly.

Garcia is already half asleep when Spender speaks up. “I’m sorry today was such a mess.”

Garcia looks over at his boyfriend. “What?”

“With the spirit, and the kids, and just… the fair in general, really. I know it’s not usually your thing, but I still dragged you there anyway-”

“Hey,” Garcia cuts him off. “If I really didn’t want to, I would have told you, you know that, right? I had fun today. What’s this about?”

Spender groans, tipping his head back. “It’s just- I know I’ve been busy recently, with the club and the Consortium. We barely see each other outside school anymore, and when we do it’s to talk about paranatural happenings, or the town, or work. I just… I was trying to have a day when we didn’t have to worry about any of that stuff. When we could just be two people out on a date. You know?

Garcia watches Spender and sighs heavily. “You were really looking forward to this, huh?”

Spender doesn’t respond immediately, but he does avert his gaze down and to the left, which Garcia knows means _yes, but I don’t want to admit it because it’s silly._

“It’s fine,” he says instead, with a large smile. “We can try again next time, right?”

“Hmm.” Garcia stands. “I have an idea. Wait here.”

To be accurate, Garcia has half of an idea, which is more than he usually has before doing anything, anyway.

It pans out better than he was expecting, because twenty minutes later, he’s standing in the dining table, looking down at his handiwork with pride. “Ok, come in now.”

Spender comes in to see the table set for two, complete with candles and wine glasses, and laden with takeout boxes from all of their favorite restaurants. There are at least five different cuisines on the table- Garcia is sure he can hear Spender’s crappy dining table creaking under the weight, but he’s choosing to ignore it.

He spreads his hands. “We had to miss the Mayview Fair feasting hour, but I figured I could put together a feast of our own.”

Spender walks up slowly, and for once, Garcia can’t quite read his face, so he keeps talking instead. “Look, we’re both busy a lot. And we can’t always have casual dates, especially not normal ones, without them going completely sideways. But I want you to know that I’d be just as happy chasing down a spirit in the woods with you as I would be with dinner and a show. So you don’t have to feel like you’ve let me down in some way by being who you are, alright?”

Spender responds by catching Garcia’s face in his hands and pressing a soft kiss to his mouth. “Thanks, Jean.”

Garcia grins, pressing a light kiss to Spender’s forehead in return. “Anytime, babe. Now, shall we? Before it gets cold.”

Spender makes a big production out of pulling out Garcia’s chair and pouring him a glass of wine, which Garcia accepts with a slight smile. They stay up late, talking about everything and nothing, slowly working their way through the massive amount of food Garcia had brought. They eat dessert on the couch, watching whatever dumb reality show Spender had developed an interest in, before heading off to bed.

As they’re going to sleep, Spender murmurs, “Next time let’s just skip to the dinner part of the date.”

Garcia chuckles. “I’ll remind you of that next time. G’night, babe.”

“G’night.”


End file.
